Королевская консерватория музыки Канады

Canadian non profit music education institution

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Conservatory of Music. In 1947, King George VI incorporated the organization through royal charter. Its Toronto home was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995, in recognition of the institution's influence on music education in Canada. Tim Price is the current Chair of the Board, and Peter Simon is the President.

The conservatory was founded in 1886 as The Toronto Conservatory of Music and opened in September 1887, located on two floors above a music store at the corner of Dundas Street (Wilton Street) and Yonge Street (at today's Yonge Dundas Square). Its founder Edward Fisher was a young organist born in the United States. The conservatory became the first institution of its kind in Canada: a school dedicated to the training of singers and instrumentalists, and also to instilling a love of music in young children. In its first year, it hired Italian musician and composer Francesco D'Auria to teach at the conservatory. The conservatory's initial intake was just over 100, and by its second quarter this number had grown to nearly 300 as its reputation quickly spread. In 1897, the organization purchased a new property at College Street and University Avenue (now site of the Intact Centre) to accommodate its rapid expansion. From its earliest days, it was affiliated with the University of Toronto with the purpose of preparing students for degree examinations The academy itself had been founded in 1911 by Albert Gooderham, who financed the school out of his own personal fortune and served as the school's only president during its 13 year history. The academy, in turn, merged into the Toronto Conservatory of Music in 1924.

Glenn Gould – arguably the conservatory's most outstanding pupil – studied theory, organ, and piano, graduating at the age of 12 in 1946 with an ARCT diploma of the highest honours. In 1947, King George VI awarded the conservatory its royal charter in recognition of its status as one of the Commonwealth's greatest music schools.

The conservatory was governed by the University of Toronto from 1963 until 1991, at which time it became a wholly independent institution again, taking control of its building and diverse music programs. Also in 1991, the conservatory developed a master plan to renovate its historic building and expand it with the construction of new facilities on the same site. The plan was carried out by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) in stages, initially with the 1997 renovation of Mazzoleni Concert Hall in the historic Ihnatowycz Hall. The plans for this renovation are held at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. The new construction is named the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning and features academic and performance spaces; the acoustically sound, 1,135 seat Koerner concert venue; studios; classrooms; a new media centre; a library; and a rehearsal hall. During the renovations, the conservatory temporarily moved to the former location of the Toronto District School Board's Ursula Franklin Academy in the Dufferin and Bloor West area. In September 2008, the conservatory returned to a newly renovated and expanded headquarters at 273 Bloor Street West near Avenue Road. Koerner Hall opened on 25 September 2009, beginning a new age of large scale performances at The Royal Conservatory. The original building, McMaster Hall, was renamed Ihnatowycz Hall in 2005, in reference to the contribution of alumni Ian Ihnatowycz and Marta Witer. The imposing manner of the building demonstrates the prominent form of the building.

The Royal Conservatory is a not for profit organization offering a wide range of arts programs.

This is the division of The Royal Conservatory that sets and supports standards in music examinations across Canada and internationally. The organization conducts 100,000 examinations annually in over 300 communities around the world. Examinations are conducted three or four times each year in more than 300 communities through a network of local centres. The Certificate Program encompasses all levels and spans 11 grades: from beginner to certification as an Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT), to certification as a Licentiate of The Royal Conservatory of Music (LRCM). Achievement on the examinations of The Royal Conservatory is recognized for credit toward secondary school graduation in many school systems in Canada. For most provinces in Canada, a Level 6 Certificate and Level 6 Theory (formerly Intermediate Rudiments) counts as Grade 10 credit, a Level 7 Certificate and Level 6 or Level 7 Theory (also formerly Intermediate Rudiments) counts as Grade 11 credit, and a Level 8 Certificate and Level 8 Theory (formerly Advanced Rudiments) counts as Grade 12 credit. One's standing in the Certificate Program also plays an important role in entrance requirements for professional music programs at many universities and colleges.

In 2011 The Royal Conservatory partnered with Carnegie Hall to launch The Achievement Program in the United States. In January 2013 The Royal Conservatory took on sole responsibility of the successful program under the name The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. Developed to provide a national standard for all learners, in 2016 The Music Development Program was merged with The RCM Certificate Program.

The Frederick Harris Music Co. Limited, is the oldest and largest print music publisher in Canada. Frederick Harris (1866–1945) devoted his life to music publishing. He began his career in England working for a large music publishing firm. In 1904, he set up his own business in London and in 1910, established a Canadian office in Toronto – marking the beginning of a long association with The Royal Conservatory that led to an increased emphasis on publications for teaching and learning. In 1944, the company was donated to the conservatory with profits to be used for its own purposes. and The School is supported by funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage through the National Arts Contribution Program. It has become one of the most highly respected music conservatories in North America, and the world. The faculty consists of internationally acclaimed performers, teachers, and scholars. More than 125 master classes are presented each year with artists, such as Leon Fleisher, Stewart Goodyear, Anton Kuerti, and James Ehnes. Glenn Gould School alumni have established careers as solo performers, orchestral musicians, chamber musicians, and recording artists. Alumni include the pianist Jan Lisiecki, singers Isabel Bayrakdarian and Robert Gleadow, the pianists David Jalbert and Richard Raymond, the harpist Mariko Anraku, the violist Adam Romer, as well as the St. Lawrence String Quartet. The Glenn Gould School offers an accredited four year Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree in Music Performance in piano, voice, and all orchestral instruments, designed for high school graduates who wish to prepare for a career as a performer. The Artist Diploma is a two year postbachelor program for piano, voice, orchestral instruments, performance, and pedagogy. The school also offers The Rebanks Family Fellowship and Performance Diploma Program, a one year career development program for aspiring classical musicians.

After a competitive audition and interview, accepted students are streamed into Junior, Intermediate, or Senior Academy programs. This comprehensive program develops performance skills, musicianship, and academic excellence. Most Academy activities take place on Friday evenings and Saturdays but students are expected to practice daily and work on regular assignments. Through the support of private individuals and foundations, financial assistance is available for all students. Alumni of the academy who have launched successful careers include Peter Simon, Katie Stillman, Eugene Nakamura, Marcin Swoboda, Janice LaMarre, Marta and Irena Kretchkovsky, and Karen Ouzounian.

The Royal Conservatory School offers individual and group instruction in classical, popular, folk, jazz, and world music, to people of all ages and abilities. The school also offers music appreciation sessions as well as training programs for teachers and artists.

In October 2013 The Royal Conservatory launched The Marilyn Thomson Early Childhood Education Centre, with an aim of spreading online learning in music to young children.

The Royal Conservatory presents approximately 100 performances a year, featuring classical, jazz, world, and pop music artists from around the world. It has three concert venues: Koerner Hall, Mazzoleni Concert Hall, and Temerty Theatre.

Named for donors Michael and Sonja Koerner, Koerner Hall opened in September 2009 and houses 1,135 seats. It was designed by KPMB Architects, under the direction of Marianne McKenna, theatre consultant Anne Minors Performance Consultants, and acoustics company Sound Space Design. It features two balcony tiers above the main orchestra level as well as a third technical balcony. Koerner Hall's signature element is an acoustically transparent veil of twisting oak strings that forms the backdrop for the chorus at the first balcony level, then hovers over the stage below the fixed acoustic canopy, extending into and over the hall at the technical balcony level. Completion of the project also includes three tiers of glass fronted lobbies overlooking Philosopher's Walk, back of house areas for performers, a ground floor café, and installation of a unique collection of antique musical instruments donated by the Koerner family and valued at $1 million. Each level is also equipped to host a variety of private functions.

Mazzoleni Concert Hall has and 237 seats. When it opened in 1901, it was known as Castle Memorial Hall. At that time it had a chapel with stained glass windows on the ground floor level and a library on the lower level. By the 1960s, the University of Toronto, which used the space as a lecture hall, had bricked up the windows and removed a rear balcony. In 1996, restoration began. Mazzoleni Concert Hall was named in honour of Ettore Mazzoleni, a former principal of the conservatory.

"A granite cube which floats above Bloor Street," this multipurpose performance and event space is located on level 2 of the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning. It has space for up to 150 seats and is designed to accommodate a range of functions, including special events, performance, rehearsals, and "Learning Through the Arts™" activities. In scale and proportion, the Conservatory Theatre replicates the acoustic quality and stage size of Koerner Hall to prepare students for live performance. The venue is named in honour of James and Louise Temerty.

Established in 2002, the ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) is composed of senior faculty members of the conservatory's Glenn Gould School in Toronto and led by artistic director Simon Wynberg. The ensemble has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Its current album, dedicated to the works of Polish American composer Jerzy Fitelberg, was nominated in the categories of Best Chamber Music Performance and Producer of the Year, Classical (David Frost). The ensemble has also received Grammy nominations for its 2007 recording On the Threshold of Hope, and its 2008 album Right Through The Bone, devoted to the music of German Dutch composer Julius Röntgen.